One Girl Is All It Takes
by Neko Nasai
Summary: Things get interesting when another Gundam Pilot gets thrown into the mix. (OC, 3x4, 1x2, 2xOC, 1xR, little violence, Noin- Relena- Hiro-bashing)
1. Prologue

One Girl Is All It Takes: Prologue

One Girl Is All It Takes  
by Neko Nasai

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and all associated with it are copywrighted to the people who created them and all that other stuff. If you like it, please let me know!

~Neko Nasai~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Prologue_

  
The phone in Noin's office rang shrilly and she snatched up the receiver quickly to shut it up.

"Noin," she answered. "Who? Okay."

She bounced her pencil's eraser on the document in front of her as she waited for the line to connect. Soon, there was a noise on the other end and a voice.

"Hello? Yes, hi, what did you want to talk to me about? Uh-huh... Yes, I know of them. I don't want to most of the time, but I do. Uh-huh... What? You've got to be kidding me--_another_ one? Oh, God, there goes the neighborhood..." She looked at Zechs with a cry of help on her face as he walked in with a cup of coffee. "No, I can't say I want to. No way, I'm not going to deal with another immature, testosterone-filled little--what's that? _Really_?" Noin laughed genially all of a sudden, making one of Zechs eyebrows lift in curiosity. "Oh, then not a problem. All right, I'll have an escort at the airport... What? Oh, well, sure, I forgot about that. Yes, no problem. Uh-huh... uh-huh... All right. Tomorrow afternoon then. A pleasure. Bye."

Noin hung up the phone with a little contented sigh, then looked up at Zechs with a smile that quickly grew into a grin.

"What diabolical plans have you set this time?" he asked after taking a sip of the warm, brown liquid.

"I didn't plan it, it just fell into my lap," she said in her own defense. "We have a guest to meet tomorrow afternoon. The Gundam Boys are going to flip with happiness, I'm sure of it, when we introduce their new best friend to them."

Zechs didn't like the tone in her voice. He took another sip of coffee and then set it down, leaning forward to talk to her.

"Well, considering what I know about them, I doubt they'll like this person we're meeting, and since you seem so happy about it, I'd have to say they'll hate it."

Noin laughed.

"You judge me rashly--but I hope you're right. Not about me, I mean, about the Boys' reactions... If I'm going to bring this person to them, I want to enjoy every tantalizing minute of it."

"For their sake, Noin, I hope you don't get much pleasure out of it. And who says they wont like this person?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure they won't like a new member among their ranks... they've been five for entirely too long, you realize."

"Oh? Another Gundam Boy? You're right, then--there goes the neighborhood."

Noin just grinned again.


	2. Part 1

One Girl Is All It Takes: Part 1

One Girl Is All It Takes  
by Neko Nasai

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and all associated with it are copywrighted to the people who created them and all that other stuff. Moira Amoureux is my own creation, as it the story line. If you like it, please let me know!

~Neko Nasai~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Part 1_  


Zechs was staring.

Noin laughed and walked up to the red-headed girl who had crawled out of the monstrous Gundam she'd just landed beside Tallgeese. Zechs followed as though in a trance, eyes still locked on the girl.

"Moira Amoureux?" Noin asked once she reached the red-head.

The girl smiled and nodded. She was definitely petite, with very fair skin, and long, red, hair that flowed in ringlet waves down her back and shoulders. Her eyes were a very clear shade of green that shone in the sunlight of the afternoon sun.

"Well, very nice to meet you. You can call me Noin," she shook hands with the girl, then gestured to Zechs, who quickly shut his partially-open mouth. "And this is Zechs."

"Charmed," he said, took her hand, and planted a kiss on it. He was pleased to see that she blushed a little.

"Well, ready to meet your fellow Gundam pilots?" Noin asked.

Zechs rolled his eyes at the giddiness in her voice and set his jaw. He didn't mind so much when she messed with the Boys, but this girl was innocent to all of this. What if they flipped out like Noin wanted? What would she think? How would she feel?

It was when he watched her in the car, smiling a little as she intently watched the passing scenery, that he finally said something.

"You do know all five of them are boys, don't you?"

She looked at him with a start, then her face showed surprise.

"Ouch!" Zechs whispered roughly as Noin back-handed his arm. "What? She needs to know. No matter what you do to the boys, I'm not going to let her be sent into the lion's den without warning."

"When did you start caring?" she asked, her voice sounded annoyed.

"When I realized how much worse you are than I am, I guess."

Noin shot him a glare and he just smiled, then he looked back at Moira.

"They're not expecting you, so whatever happens, don't worry, okay? If push comes to shove, you can stay with us."

Noin hit him again and he glared at her. This time, she looked at him with a smirk, her eyes said "You just want to get laid." He gave her a silent snarl and ignored her the rest of the car ride.

Once there, Noin rang the bell, while Zechs whispered encouragement to Moira behind her. He led her onto the step in front of the door and let her enter first when the door opened.

"Suddenly a gentleman, I see," said Noin, as Zechs entered in front of her, then grunted as he shut the door in her face behind him. "Son of a--"

Quatre opened the door, looking a bit sheepish.

"Sorry... I think the door's on an angle, we'll have to see about getting it fixed. We don't want it slamming on anyone again. Come in?"

Quatre was kind, but she didn't expect him to be making excuses for Zechs.

"Thanks," she muttered and followed the retreating backs of Zechs and Moira.

Quatre led them to a rec room where the boys were watching Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Duo was on the floor throwing popcorn at the robotic warriors of the future while Wufei was cheering them on. Hiro just smacked Wufei up the back of his head and Quatre joined a quiet Trowa on a second couch situated at an angle with the other one in front of the TV. Noin cleared her throat and all the attention switched to her.

"Hi. Why don't you pause that, cause I have someone to introduce to you."

Duo snatched up the remote and paused the movie, then returned his attention to her. She gave them a smile they knew was too nice for her to mean and dreaded what she was going to tell them.

"Thank you. Now, I'd like to introduce you all to Moira Amoureux. She's Irish, her father was French, though--anyway, she's the pilot of the Gundam Kali-Ma and has just arrived. That's Duo, Wufei, Hiro, Quatre, and Trowa," she pointed to each as she named them, then smiled at them. "Aren't you glad to meet her?"

If her voice had been any sweeter, they all would have started retching where they sat. But they all just stared at the red-haired girl with green eyes wearing a pair of flared black pants and a black velvet button-up shirt that was standing in their rec room. The one that was supposed to be one of them, because she was supposedly a Gundam pilot.

"Iie! Uh-uh! No way!" yelled Wufei suddenly, breaking the silence. "You're screwing with us--no woman, no _girl_ is a Gundam pilot. Iie, no, I don't believe you!"

Then he launched himself off the couch and stormed out of the room. Considering Wufei, it was subtle, but Zechs could see Moira's bottom lip jut out just a little bit. Nothing anyone else would notice, he was sure, but it was the only sign that how Wufei reacted hurt her.

Hiro stood up, walked up her, looked her over, and huffed.

"I think I agree with Wufei... How can she be one of us? It's not easy being a Gundam pilot, you have to be a refined soldier to be able to truly handle it. She doesn't look like one to me."

Then Hiro followed suit and left the room. Her lip quivered for a moment and then she bit it so that it would stop. Zechs looked up at the three remaining Gundam Boys. Duo was staring after Hiro and Wufei with an incredulous look on his face and Trowa and Quatre were whispering to each other.

Zechs leaned over and whispered into Moira's ear softly.

"It's okay, you can stay with us, back at the base..."

But Quatre was standing up and walking up her to her. Zechs could see her tense up, ready for another stream of badgering words to come out of him, but Quatre's big blue eyes sparkled at her and then he smiled.

"I'm glad you're with us, Moira... Welcome to our house. Don't worry, you have Trowa and me, even if the others are stupid."

Moira looked over at Trowa on the couch, as if searching for positive reinforcement and found him giving her a little smile. Moira then beamed at Quatre and she spoke--for the first time, Zechs realized--with happy, accented words.

"Thank you very much, Quatre, and you, Trowa," she turned to Trowa a moment to regard him, "For your welcome... It means so much to me."

"Of course! Why wouldn't you after those two idiots said such awful things... Come on, come sit with me and Trowa and we'll learn more about each other."

Zechs watched Quatre put a hand on her arm and, smiling, he led her to the couch, where the three of them fell into conversation. He looked up at Noin, who wasn't as pleased as she wanted to be, he noticed, but when she caught him looking at her, she smiled maliciously.

"Hiro and Wufei will make her miserable!" she whispered gleefully.

"Noin? You're a cruel, mangy bitch--did you know that?"

Noin looked at him, shocked that he'd insulted her, and watched him walk to Moira, to give her a goodbye, before she got shoved out the door by him.

"Leave her alone. I don't care what else you do, but you will not hurt that girl intentionally, or I'll kill you myself."

The tone with which Zechs growled it at her left Noin feeling as though she never wanted to cross him about anything ever again and stayed silent as he drove them back to the base.

~~~

Duo watched quietly as the girl, Moira, smiled brightly at Trowa and Quatre while they just talked with each other. He could hear the lilting, softly-used, Irish accent in her voice, so different from what any of the boys sounded like.

"My Da was a Frank, as Miss Noin said, that's where I get my last name. But, he left Mama when I was still a little lass an' he's married to another woman now. I've lived with Mama ever since, even though Da likes me to visit him twice a year an' all during the summer. That's when I'm one o' me brothers."

"One of your brothers?" asked Quatre.

She smiled at him.

"Aye, I'm a girl most o' the time, but I'm what Da calls a tomboy' when I'm with my four half-brothers. They act like I'm one o' them--which makes me happy--but are always gentlemen an' treat me good when they should."

"So you're used to having a bunch of boys around, hm?" asked Trowa with a little smile.

"Aye, an' that Hiro reminds me o' a boy that used to say the same types o' things."

"Used to?" asked Quatre. "What happened to him?"

She grinned, but it was the sweetest thing to see.

"I whipped him good one day when he went too far an' went after one o' my brothers. He was just a babe, y'know, not more an seven. No bully was gonna hurt my baby brother!"

Trowa smiled and Quatre laughed a little before giving Moira a little hug. They really liked her; they were on their way to loving her to death. And the way she talked, switching from Irish uses of words to what they considered normal was tickling them pink.

"Well, now, what about sleeping arrangements?" asked Trowa suddenly. "I don't think there are any free rooms, which means you'll have to bunk in someone's room with them."

Moira's green eyes went a little wide at the idea of being stuck with anyone but Trowa or Quatre.

"She can stay in our room," piped up Quatre. "I know I wouldn't mind. Would you?"

Trowa shook his head. "No, not at all."

Moira's red, arching eyebrows went up a little and it was obvious that she thought that this would be interesting.

As Quatre held her hand and followed after Trowa toward their room, Moira looked at Duo. She realized that he'd been watching and listening to them the whole time. He was very nice to look at, she thought, with a long brown braid and purple eyes. She smiled a little and was pulled out of sight.

~~~

Moira laid on her side, head propped up on her hand, facing Quatre, who's body mirrored hers. Trowa's arm suddenly came up from behind Quatre, reached over him, and braced itself on the mattress in front of his stomach before Trowa's head and shoulder came into view. Moira looked at the two of them, her new best friends, Trowa laying on his side behind Quatre, his arm around his waist, and she smiled.

"You two look like a perfect couple. You look... right together."

Trowa smiled down at Quatre and Quatre beamed at her.

"You really think so?" asked Quatre.

She nodded and smiled wider at him.

"Is this sort of relationship normal where you come from?" inquired Trowa.

"No... No, not really. Though, I think, my brother Jacques and his friend Phillip are together. He's smiled at me a certain way when Phillip whispered in his ear sometimes. It's like he wants me to know, cause he knows that I'll always love him an' be as good a sister to him as I can."

Trowa smiled his usual, reserved smile and rubbed Quatre's stomach a little so that they could exchange adoring looks. But when they looked at Moira again, it was obvious she was saddened about something.

"What's wrong?" Trowa asked.

"I miss my brothers... Sean is the oldest an' Connor is his twin, younger by six minutes. Then there's Jacques, an' last is my baby brother Henri, who used to give me a daisy every day from the field on the other side o' the creek. Aye, I miss them."

"That's okay, now you have us. I think all five of us are boys enough to keep you on your toes."

Moira smiled again.

"Aye, I suppose your right."

Just then, both Quatre and Moira yawned and Trowa smiled larger than usual. They were both so very adorable, even more so side by side.

"I think that, perhaps, we should get to sleep, it's getting late," he said.

Quatre smiled and wriggled underneath the covers. Moira slid underneath then as well, turned over, closed her eyes, and set to falling asleep. Trowa watched her a moment before looking down into Quatre's big, clear blue eyes and smiled at him. His beautiful Quatre.

Trowa's lips were on Quatre's before he even realized he wanted to kiss him. His lips worked over Quatre's responding ones, the kiss growing deeper and deeper by the moment.

Moira shifted underneath the sheets and their kiss broke. They both looked at Moira's curled up little body, her back facing them, then looked at each other. They didn't want her so far away. Trowa reached out and rubbed her shoulder, causing her to turn over a little to look at them.

"Come closer. It's kind of cold in here, so why don't the three of us snuggle up together?" supplied Quatre.

Moira's eyes showed the fact she thought it was a bit weird, but she turned over and scooted closer to the two of them.

"Here... There, so we touch. Body heat is very important in warming people, and skin contact is always the safest bet," said Trowa.

Moira's tired mind wasn't really thinking how strange it would look to someone who might walk in. How both she and Trowa were snuggled up to Quatre and getting closer as they drifted off to sleep. Moira's head moved to lay on Quatre's shoulder while Trowa's lay on top of the blond hair. Her hand rested on his stomach while Trowa's was snaked around his waist. Somewhere in the middle of the night Trowa and Moira's legs even interlocked over Quatre's. And somewhere in her dreams, she remembered the boy with the purple eyes that hadn' t rebuked her, but morning came too fast for her to remember it.


	3. Part 2

One Girl Is All It Takes: Part 2

One Girl Is All It Takes  
by Neko Nasai

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and all associated with it are copywrighted to the people who created them and all that other stuff. Moira Amoureux is my own creation, as it the story line. If you like it, please let me know!

~Neko Nasai~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Part 2_

When Moira woke early the next morning, she felt warmth behind her. She found herself with Quatre's body spooning hers, and Trowa's spooning his, both their arms laying over her stomach. It was strange for her, to say the least--despite the fact she knew that them being gay meant it wasn't something sexual toward her--but comforting in it's own way. She was able to sneak out of their embrace quietly and without waking them.

She saw them next about an hour later when the smell of good, home-cooked breakfast drew all five male Gundam pilots to the kitchen.

Quatre bounced over to her where she stood before the stove, stirring some eggs and sausages in different frying pans.

"MmMmm, that smells so good! What else are you cooking?"

"Smells like she's got some muffins going," commented Trowa, coming up behind his lover.

She smiled.

"Some blueberry, some chocolate chip, an' some cranberry-orange," she confirmed.

"Are you cooking any bacon?" asked Duo, who was sitting down at the table already.

"O' course, just as soon as I finish these sausages. Anyone like pour bread?"

"What's pour bread?" asked Quatre.

"Like biscuits, only they're poured into a frying pan."

"I like them with gravy," muttered Hiro as he walked in rubbing his eyes, before he remembered who Moira was.

"Then, I'll make some gravy for you. Who wants toast?"

"That would be me..." said Duo, coming over to look at the stuff she was cooking. "Actually... That there is me, that too, and that, and that and--well, I'll just take everything, how's that?"

Moira laughed, then grabbed the sausage pan and dumped them onto a plate covered with paper towels for the grease to soak into.

"Now this is more like it!" thundered Wufei as he entered the kitchen. The other four pilots were seated at the table by then. "A woman should be in the kitchen cooking good food for warriors like us."

Moira set down the plate of sausages on the table, followed by the eggs. Moments later, fresh muffins were piled on plates in front of them, and they could hear bacon sizzling.

Duo immediately dug in, spearing every stray piece of food within reach of his fork. The other four had to be careful of the darting utensil for fear they'd get stabbed.

Duo suddenly found two pieces of toast, sliced diagonally, next to his main plate. He looked up and saw Moira give him a smile, before retreating back to the stove.

"Yes, women should cook and clean and make babies, not fly Gundams or Mobile Dolls or fight at all," Wufei went on. He had actually relaxed quite a bit about Moira, now that she knew her place and was cooking for them, he was horrified mid-bite when she replied cooly and calmly to his comments.

"So what you're saying is, that if you weren't home and someone came into the house, where you have your beloved children, you wouldn't want your wife to be able to protect them? Or maybe you were there, but were incapacitated by some coma-inducing disease or severe battle wound. You'd want to watch your whole house-hold die just cause your woman' shouldn't be allowed to fight, just for prides sake?"

Wufei was silent. He didn't know what to say. In his head, his nature and logic were fighting over whether she was right or not. He wanted to say yes', because women couldn't fight, it just wasn't right. But common sense told him he wouldn't want to watch something he loved die, just because he said no, you can't.'

Moira didn't push, didn't say another word about it through the rest of breakfast, as though she'd never said anything about it. She'd given Hiro his biscuits and gravy and made more toast for Duo. She'd given them orange juice, or milk if they preferred it, to wash down their food and cleaned everything up when they were done. Quatre had stayed to help her, as did a quiet Duo.

"That was a great breakfast, Moira, thank you."

"Nay, it was nothing," Moira said with a smile, "I'm rather used to it with my brothers, as I told you before. They wouldn't eat their own Ma's food, only mine. I told them it was mean to do to their own Ma, but they didn't care. Da always said my food was good, too. I don't think he liked his wife's food, either."

"Well, we certainly enjoyed it. Oh, did you sleep well last night?"

"Oh... Aye, I don't even remember dreaming."

Quatre smiled.

"Good. Trowa and I were worried when we woke up and you weren't there. But I suppose you were just cooking all this wonderful food for us, huh?"

"Aye, all this food, indeed--_shite_!" she yelped as one of the bowls with a little muffin batter left in it splattered on the floor. "Now all the feckin' batter's everywhere, why does this shite happen to me."

Quatre exchanged amused glances with Duo and Quatre laughed a little.

" feckin'? shite'?" he asked.

Moira turned around and looked at him a little shamefaced.

"Sorry... My Da was always upset with me brothers, cause they taught me Irish swear words... They taught me Franc ones, too, but I didn't like them as much."

Quatre just smiled.

"No, it's cute to hear you say them. I don't mind."

"I'll still try an' avoid them. For my Da, even though hes not here, " she grunted in reply as she got down on her hands and knees to get the batter off the floor.

Quatre watched as Duo grabbed a bunch of paper towels and a sponge and got down on the floor with her, wiping away at the little batter that was left. He smiled to himself at the sincerity Duo was showing her. He was quiet, but he seemed to like her around. Quatre was glad to know that of the five of them, the ones who wanted her here out-numbered the ones who didn't.

"That should be it," she huffed lightly and stood up again, throwing the dirty sponge into the sink. "Feckin' batter..."

Quatre laughed again and she realized she'd sworn again.

"Eh, sorry..."

Quatre just shook his head and smiled at Duo's amused face before he led Moira out to the rec room.

Trowa was putting a CD into the stereo and Wufei had his nose shoved into a book about the different kinds of swords over history, which emphasized more on pictures than words. Trowa looked up and smiled at Quatre and Moira, watching Duo slip into the room behind them.

"Where's Hiro?" he asked, picking a little piece of batter out of his braid.

"With his Gundam," answered Wufei aimlessly.

"Thanks, see you later."

Moira watched Duo leave then returned her attention to Trowa when he kissed her cheek.

"Sleep well?" he asked quietly.

Quatre smiled brightly.

"I already asked, my dearest, she said she slept well."

Trowa smiled at his lover in return, half in relief that Moira was comfortable and half just because he was looking at him.

"Oh, Moira, Zechs came by while you were cleaning up, said he didn't want to bother you but wanted you to know that your Gundam is with ours. He brought some men who transported it for you."

"I want to see her. I usually spend some time with her every day."

"We can take you!" squeaked Quatre, jumping a little with innocent excitement. "I want to see your Gundam anyway!"

Moira laughed and nodded.

The hallways were confusing, but she made enough mental notes that she was pretty sure she could find the hangar again without too much problem.

"Don't forget that the code is cheese doodles, okay?" said Quatre as they entered the hangar.

She was laughing rather hard.

"Why is that the password?"

"Just because it's so dumb that it's probable no one would think of it," answered Trowa, giving her a nice, amused smile.

Moira laughed again, then squeaked when she saw her Gundam and raced over to her.

"How's my Kali-Ma? My big, dark babe?" she said, giving the metal foot a little hug.

"It's your baby, hmm?" piped up Quatre as he and Trowa caught up with her.

"O' course! Isn't she beautiful?"

Quatre had to admit the Gundam was impressive. All of them were, but this Kali-Ma was definitely different in a lot of ways. There wasn't any white metal on it, but grays and silver and black. It was also sleeker-looking somehow. It had slivers of metal spread out from it's back, much like Deathscythe's, but instead of six there were eight. And on what would be the center of the forehead on the Gundam, there was a jewel-like window made of a dark red color, making it look like a Indian bindi. The Gundam really did look like it was more likely female, especially beside the other five.

"Kali-Ma... Wow. How is she in battle?"

"I've never really had to use her for battle, much." The two boys looked at her. "No, you don't understand, no one's ever really threatened where I come from... Well, not until recently. That's why I was sent here..."

"What happened?"

"The town finally said that I should be protectin' them. That if I'm really a Gundam pilot, than why wasn't I with the other Gundam pilots."

"I see," said Trowa quietly.

"But I'm kinda glad they did, you know? Cause now you're with us!" said Quatre, ever the optimist.

Moira nodded and smiled.

"I suppose... Well, I'd like to spend some time with Kali-Ma by meself for a little while--that okay?"

"Oh, yeah, of course!" said Quatre.

"There's nothing wrong with that," added Trowa. "Quatre and I want some time together anyway."

Quatre looked at him and suddenly grinned.

Moira smiled at them and nodded. She laughed a little as Quatre gave her a quick hug and pulled Trowa back into the house.

"They're definitely odd, Kali, but I like them very much," Moira said to her Gundam as she climbed up toward the pilot's hatch.

She had no idea that Duo was watching her climb while on Deathscythe, who was beside Kali-Ma. She had no idea he was listening to her talking to her Gundam until she was almost to the hatch and, boy, did she yelp when she saw him perched by her.

"By all the immortal gods, you scared the livin' daylight out o' me!" she cried as she stood up on the open hatch door.

She saw him smile a little, but she didn't really see it. She saw the visage of a boy who was hurting for some reason. Her fright drained from her body instantly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said quietly.

"Sheep-shite."

A laugh escaped his lips, at the pure hilarity of the seriously said words.

Moira curled her body around into the hatch and punched a few things on the inside of the hatch and Kali-Ma extended her hand out to touch Deathscythe's shoulder. She climbed down onto Kali-Ma's shoulder and traveled down the length of her arm until she was on Deathscythe and then climbed back up so that she could sit next to Duo.

"Now, are ye gonna tell me or not? No one in the world wants to listen to what happened more than I do, right now."

Duo sighed beside her, then he looked up at her and his purple eyes reminded her of what she'd realized last night. He didn't shun her, he didn't rebuke her, and so she was even more glad that she wanted to help him now.

"I don't know what to do about Hiro..."

Moira resisted the urge to roll her eyes heavenward and nodded.

"What'd the bastard do to you?"

"Don't call him that..."

"Sorry..."

Duo sighed again, looked away, and was quiet a moment, collecting his thoughts together.

"He and I... I used to think he loved me. But lately, I don't know anymore. Like right now, I went to go see him and he told me to go away like he used to, y'know, before we got together and everything. But Relena's here, for some reason, and she's giving him all goo-goo eyes, like she always has, and he's not telling _her_ to go away."

"Feckin' hell."

Duo looked at her again, then smiled a little, maybe even out of contempt. "Why do you care?"

"Why?" she looked at him with surprise. "I don't care who you are or what you do with who, but you never hurt someone you love. If you don't love them anymore, you tell them. But if you ever loved them, really loved them, you don't just tell them to go away. An' you especially don't leave them in the dark wonderin' whether or not you care. But then, that's just my opinion."

Duo smiled wider at her, this one much more genuine.

"I think I like your opinion."

"Well, I like you much more than I like him, anyway. He hasn't given me any reason to like him one bit. But, if you love him, then Ill try my best to be nice."

"Well, you were being nice to him this morning. You gave him biscuits and gravy."

"I suppose."

"Oh, and I have to say this--the way you shut Wufei up was great. I don't think any of us have ever been able to shut him up better than you did this morning."

"Does he always go on about how women should never fight?"

"Many times, yes. You see, Wufeis a typical chauvinist--he thinks women should--"

" Cook, clean, and make babies'," she quoted from breakfast.

Duo chuckled a little.

"Yeah, you've got it."

"Hey, I've got an idea... Why don't you come spend some time with me? I don't think I should go calling on Trowa and Quatre right now."

Duo chuckled louder, having heard and seen the two other pilots before they left. Moira smiled at him.

"How bout it?"

"All right, sounds good to me. Where to?"

"Well, first, I think we should get down. Kali-Ma."

The jewel-bindi on Kali-Ma's forehead glowed to life.

"Lift your hand so that Duo an' I can walk onto it."

Kali-ma moved her hand accordingly and Moira walked onto it. Duo looked her Gundam up and down.

"She's not a man-hating Gundam is she?"

Moira laughed and beckoned him to get on the hand.

"I'm not a man-hater an' neither is she. Come on."

Duo hesitated a moment longer and walked onto the hand.

"Set us down on the floor, Kali," she told the Gundam.

And it did. And very smoothly at that. Duo got off and stared up at the Gundam.

"Like her?" asked Moira.

"Oh, yeah... She's amazing."

"Careful, I might get jealous."

Duo smiled and turned to her, then held out an arm. "Shall we?"

"We shall."

~~~

An hour later, Wufei was doing his best to drown out the four voices in the rec room by concentrating as hard as he could on the swords in the book. But to no avail. The female voice of Moira was the hardest to ignore and he finally shot upand threw the book across the room.

"I'm trying to read!"

" Trying' is the key word," said Duo.

Wufei clenched his hands into fists and glared at Duo.

"Hey, Wufei, why don't you join us," invited Quatre. "We were just thinking of starting up our Dungeons and Dragons quest again, introducing Moira's character in. You want in?"

Wufei was caught off-guard by the question.

"What's... What's her character?"

"A priestess elf."

Wufei seemed to relax a bit.

"Yeah, she does lots of buck-naked rituals--if we're lucky we'll walk in on her during one."

Moira smacked Duo's shoulder playfully with a smile and Duo smiled back at her.

"No, she won't," Quatre reassured Wufei, then looked at Moira. "Will you?"

Moira laughed.

"Not if the Dungeon Master doesn't make it required in order for the spell to work."

"I won't."

"Then, no, I won't."

"Aww..." lamented Duo and Moira threatened another thwack, both grinning at each other.

"Then... I guess we can..." said Wufei, and he settled himself between Trowa and Duo.

~~~

"_The God of Death commands you to DIE!!!_"

Duo threw the dice and Quatre leaned over them to see how many hit points the last stubborn troll attacking them received.

"Uh... seven."

"WHAT!?"

Wufei started laughing, Trowa was smart enough to cover his smile because Duo's hand shot out and hit Wufei squarely in the nose, his nose started to bleed immediately.

"Your turn, Moira," Quatre said, ignoring the upset Duo and Wufei.

"I'll use my enchanted longsword of ice... " she blew on the dice and rolled them. "The Ice Queen cometh."

Quatre tallied up the hit points and smiled.

"The troll is dead with an overkill of twenty-one points."

"Oh, no way!" yelped Duo.

"A _girl_?! With a _sword_?!" started Wufei, until Moira gave him a look that amazingly shut him up right there.

Duo noticed the look wasn't threatening, but somehow it worked. But then he heard a very familiar voice and turned around to see Hiro walk in, and unfortunately, Relena was following closely behind.

"I'm telling you, I'm the best kisser ever."

"I believe you," she replied.

"No, I don't think you do. I really am the best there is."

"Oh, yes, the humble one himself," whispered Trowa to Quatre and Moira, causing them to smile very big to avoid laughing all together.

"I'm sure the guys would agree, right?" said Hiro, turning to the pilots on the floor.

But no one had a chance before Moira started.

"Well, it depends. Who're you comparing yourself to?"

"I'm the best in the whole world."

"No, I can't say you would be. Come on, the world's entirely too large for you to make that assumption."

"Then I'm the best of all five of us Gundam boys."

"I still can't say I'd think so."

Moira was going to leave it at that and so turned back to the other pilots, but she felt a pain in her scalp as Hiro grabbed her high-set ponytail and yanked her head back, pressing his lips against hers in something he would later call a kiss. She shoved him away and glared bloody murder at him.

"What in Hell was that?!" she screamed at him.

He shrugged. "A kiss. To prove to you I'm the best."

"Then I can definitely say that you are not!"

"Well, considering that she's never kissed the rest of us, she can't really be expected to judge whether or not you're better than the rest of us," said Quatre suddenly.

"What are you trying to say?" Hiro snapped at him.

Trowa eyed Hiro with a look that Hiro understood and he stepped back a little knowing that he should talk more carefully to Quatre, despite how upset he was getting.

"I'm trying to say that I think she should base her answer on experience. I think she should kiss all of us."

Wufei's jaw dropped a few feet, Trowa gave a little amused smile, and Duo was looking at Moira. Moira was shocked at the suggestion.

"Oh, I dunno about that..." she began.

Hiro just glared. He knew she would have to in order to really judge, but that didn't affect his mood.

"Come on, I don't mind, I'll do it. Who else is in on this little contest?"

Trowa put his hand up beside the one Quatre had already raised. Duo followed and they all looked at Wufei. Wufei looked like he was about to explode. Kiss a girl? No way! But for some reason he lifted his hand as well, muttering something about not wanting to be the only one not doing it.

"All right, this is great. You can start with me and we'll just go in a circle."

"Oh, Quatre, I dunno about this at all..."

"Don't worry about it, you're just going to prove whether or not Hiro's right."

"But, won't it be odd? I'll have kissed all o' you. Someone'd think me a slut."

"You _are_ a slut," said Relena out of nowhere.

Moira's head whipped around in the blink of an eye and the look on her face scared Relena enough that she stepped behind Hiro like he was a shield.

"That's it, I'm not doin' it," she said and looked away from everyone, studying the carpet fibers or the dust on the coffee table nearby while crossing her arms.

But she felt fingers gently stroke her cheek and she looked up into Quatre's big, blue eyes. He was very close and he gave her the sweetest smile.

"You can never be what she said. You're dear to us and we would never let anyone think badly of you."

Wufei didn't have the guts to contradict him. Hiro rolled his eyes and shrugged off Relena's grabby hands.

"It'll be easy, you'll see. And no one will think any worse of you for it. Here..."

That was when he kissed her. His lips lightly brushed over hers first, before they pressed gently against hers in a way so sweet Moira had never even once begun to think that a kiss could be anything like it. He repeated the pressure a couple of times and then he pulled away.

She straightened, looked at his smiling, adorable face and started smiling in a dazed sort of way.

"Wow... That was so nice."

Quatre smiled wider, then looked at Trowa. Moira followed his look and realized she was supposed too kiss him next.

"Oh, good Lord, I dunno... Won't we all feel strange about each other after this?" she asked, getting the unsureness back.

"No, I don't think so. Come on, it's all right," came Quatre again.

Trowa leaned forward and Moira leaned in to meet him.

His kiss was so very different from Quatre's. His mouth widened to urge yours open as well, his tongue slid along yours like the caress of fingers on your skin. It was deep and very open and left you slightly numb in it's wake.

"Whoa..." she whispered as she settled back down away from him.

She looked up and saw Wufei across from her. He was as white as a sheet, his lips pursed into a thin line. She took a deep breath and crawled over to him so that she was close enough for him to kiss her when he was ready.

When he was he shot forward and gave her the fastest kisses she had ever encountered in her life. They were like flawlessly executed battle tactics, quick and efficient, but over like a flash.

Moira pulled back, surprised, but not enough to really show. That was when she turned to Duo, his eyes locked on hers.

"I guess you're the last," she said quietly.

He reached his hand forward, stroking her cheek gently with the back of his forefingers before they wrapped just as gently around the back of her neck. Then he brought his lips to hers and nudged her own apart slowly as their lips worked on each other. The kisses were soft, though not as gentle as Quatre's, and they were deep, but not like Trowa's. He reached his other hand up to her cheek and they switched angles in the middle of the kisses, but continued nonplussed. It was by the third angle-switch that they finally broke the kisses.

They glanced around awkwardly, Moira especially looking over at Quatre and Trowa. Quatre had his hand over his mouth his eyes a little wide, but Trowa wore a little smile. Moira didn't like the silence, or the fact people were kind of staring. She looked up at Hiro.

"Well, all four o' them were definitely better than you."

Color rose on Hiro's face and his hand darted out to grab her ponytail again. She obviously hadn't really paid enough attention to his first kiss. She hit his hand painfully away. She glared right back at him, her voice very clear and decisive.

"Touch me again an' I'll pull your intestines out through your bellybutton an' tie you to the nearest pole."

"You obviously don't know what a good kiss is when you get it!"

"No, I disagree with that. A kiss tells very much about a person."

"Oh, really. Well, what did all of these tell you?"

She looked at him as frostily as he looked at her.

"Your kiss was cold, forced, and painful in the end. That tells me you are a cold boy, and one who'll force people to get what he wants, even if it means hurting them." She looked at the other boys. "Is that pretty much how he is?"

They nodded. She looked up at Hiro triumphantly.

"You see, Hiro, Quatre's kiss was gentle, innocent, caring, and sentimental. Trowa's was deep, like he's searching, though it had the quality of mystery since it doesn't tell much about him, but it shows he is willing to share it with someone. Wufei is efficient in what he chooses to do, though impatient at times, he likes things done quickly and right. Duo's was very sensual, his lips wanting to tell you so much, but not with words, they showed a softness that can be loving and passionate. That is what I learned about them--and all with a kiss."

"Wow..." breathed Duo.

"You really _can_ tell how people are with just a kiss," said Trowa.

"I'm glad we got her to do it," agreed Quatre.

Wufei was chewing his nails to the quick, his eyes on Moira.

Hiro stared down at Moira for a long, overly-drawn out minute, then dragged Relena with him as he stormed out.

"So, who's for going to bed?" asked Quatre.

"But we're having so much fun together," replied Duo.

"Hey! Let's have a little sleepover type of thing! I know, it sounds corny, but I say we all go to mine and Trowa's room and all pile up in the big bed tonight, whatdaya say?"

"I'm for it," said Duo.

"It's my bed, I'm going to be in it anyway," said Trowa with a smile.

"I was gonna stay in your room again, anyhow," agreed Moira.

Wufei pulled another "I don't want to be the only one out" number, but he looked more frightened and white than ever.

It just so happened that Wufei chickened out by the time the other four had gotten onto the bed and went to his room. They just laughed a little and Moira and Quatre laid on their backs, talking about something or other. Duo and Trowa only listened and occasionally smiled at how the two would phrase things. Soon, though, their talking wound down and they started dozing.

Trowa looked up at Duo, trying to tell him something with his eyes, then reached down and stroked from Quatre's temple to his chin slowly. Quatre responded by nuzzling his hand in his shallow sleep. Trowa looked at Duo again, still trying to tell him something. Duo didn't know what made him do it, but he mimicked what Trowa had done on Moira's face and found her nuzzling his hand like Quatre had Trowa's.

He looked up at Trowa quickly to see his reaction. He found Trowa smiling at him approvingly and then moved his hand so than he ran his fingers through Quatre's blond hair. Quatre turned a little and cuddled up to Trowa. Duo tried the same, running his finger through Moira's red hair, now loose instead of in a ponytail, and she turned onto her side and rested her head on his chest, the rest of her body snuggled up closer to him. He was amazed that simple touches like this could affect Moira and Quatre like this and then he wondered why Trowa was showing this to him.

When he looked back up into Trowa's eyes, they told him nothing to answer his question. He just looked at him a moment longer, then put his arms around Quatre and settled down to sleep, glancing at Duo one more time before closing his eyes.

Duo looked down into Moira's serene face, people's faces were always so peaceful when they slept. He stroked her cheek and she snuggled up closer, putting a hand on his ribs. That was when Duo gave up wanting to know. He didn't care anymore, because he just wanted to put his arms around her, like he was doing now, and sleep as peacefully as she looked.


	4. Part 3

One Girl Is All It Takes: Part 3

One Girl Is All It Takes  
by Neko Nasai

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and all associated with it are copywrighted to the people who created them and all that other stuff. Moira Amoureux is my own creation, as it the story line. Extra Notes: The first thing Moira quoted about Kali-Ma was something called "The Charge of the Dark Mother", I don't know the author. The second two were excerpts from poems about the goddess Kali-Ma by Swami V. If you like it, please let me know!

~Neko Nasai~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Part 3_

No one was more surprised to find Trowa and Quatre apart a few days later, than Moira. They weren't speaking to each other, looking at each other, they didn't even stay in the same room together. She had tried to talk to one or the other, but they always ended up finding a way out of it and leaving her too. She didn't know what was wrong and it was starting to really get to her, because neither of them seemed to want her around anymore.

That was when she went to Kali-Ma. Kali was always there, as though Moira were Shiva; Kali the physical and Shiva the consciousness, one could not be without the other. She would listen to her, no matter whether she understood or not, and she would always need Moira like Moira needed her now that the Gundam was so much a part of her life.

And as though all her talking to Kali was a prayer, Kali seemed to bring her something to help her through it all. She brought Duo.

"Hey, there, beautiful," came Duo's voice.

Moira looked up to see him perched on Deathscythe's shoulder.

"Mind getting Kali to get touchy-feeling with Deathscythe again so I can come over?"

Kali reached over and punched in the coding and Kali reached over to Deathscythe. Duo was in front of her in moments, sporting a big smile. But he dropped to his knees in front of her as soon as he saw her distress.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, putting a hand on her arm.

That was when she burst into tears.

"Oh, God, what happened? What's wrong?" she could hear worry in his voice and that seemed to get the tears to subside enough that she could explain to him how she felt about Trowa and Quatre being broken up.

"You sound like you're blaming yourself. You aren't, are you?"

She nodded and sniffled.

"Oh, no, Moira, how could you think that?"

"They won't talk to me, Duo--they used to tell me anything. Even if we'd only known each other a couple o' days."

"That _is_ strange, Moira, but you can't blame yourself--you don't really know."

He sat himself down beside her and stretched his arm around her shoulders, trying to give her what comfort and reassurance he could.

"Here, why don't we get your mind off of it?"

"How do we do that?"

"Well... Tell me why Kali's name is Kali-Ma. What's it mean?"

"Well... Do you know anything about the Hindu religion?"

"Uh-uh. Not one single thing."

"Well, Kali-Ma is one o' their goddesses. She is called the Dark Mother. She's the god Shiva's wife and is the manifestation o' him an' she cannot exist without him. But he also cannot exist without her. They need each other, not only for the order o' the universe, but cause they simply can't exist without the other one." Duo was paying extreme attention to her, so much so that his arm had relaxed and instead of it being around her shoulders, it was slung around her hips. "Kali-Ma is a dark goddess, she represents many things that are opposites, but have everything to do with each other. She is the goddess of Death an' Rebirth, virgin an' experienced, innocent an' sensual. She destroys so that more can be created. She is a wrathful warrior but also the caring, gentle mother who protects an' avenges."

"Wow, that's a lot."

"Aye, but it's not everything... It's very hard to explain it all. Except maybe something I memorized about her once."

"Tell it to me?" he whispered to her.

She nodded and thought for a moment. When she spoke, she spoke with almost no accent at all, trying to be the clearest and most respectful of it that she could.

" I am the shadow in the bright day, I am the reminder of mortality at the height of living. I am the never-ending veil of night where the Star Goddess dances. I am the Death that must be so that living may continue, for behold, Life is immortal because the living must die. 

" I am the strength that protects, that limits. I am the power that says no, and no further, and that is enough. I am the things that cannot be spoken of and I am the laughter at the edge of Death.

" Come with me into the warm enfolding dark. Feel my caress in the hands, in the mouth, in the body of the one you love, and be transformed.

" Gather in the Moonless Night and speak in unknown tongues. I, the Dark Mother, will listen. Sing to Me and cry out, and the power will be yours to wield.

" Blow me a kiss when the sky is dark, and I will smile, but no kiss return--For my kiss is the final one for all of mortal flesh.'"

Duo's heart was hurting in his chest. He felt so akin to Moira, more than he had ever realized before. He wondered that of all the people that could have been another Gundam pilot, it was this red-haired girl who was as dark and related to Death as he was, who could understand him and Deathscythe, because she and Kali-Ma were very much like them. Duo thought Moira was beautiful, divinely beautiful, and he knew that if Deathscythe could be as conscious as a human, that he would find Kali-Ma the same.

Duo opened his mouth to say something, but alarms started going off and he recognized them as the warning against incoming Mobile Dolls. He stood up in a heartbeat and looked down to see the other pilots running in and climbing into their Gundams.

"Well, Shinigami, time to depart Heaven to bring Hell down on the heads of the enemy," Duo muttered to himself before turning to a bewildered Moira. "There are Mobile Suits over the house and hangar--"

"They say they'll leave the surrounding area and people alone if we'll fight them outside the atmosphere!" called out Trowa.

"I guess we're fighting them... Think you're ready to show everyone else what that awesome goddess of yours can do?" he asked, turning to Moira again.

"I don't think I have too much of a choice. I'm not going anywhere without you guys."

Duo waited until Moira was in her piloting hatch and the door securely shut before he patted Kali and whispered to her.

"Take care of her, Kali-Ma, I don't want anything to happen to that wonderful girl in you."

Just then the bindi-jewel glowed to life and he took that as his cue to run back down her arm, to Deathscythe.

Hiro had taken off first, followed closely by Wufei. Moira knew that Trowa and Quatre were looking at each other, but she didn't know what was going through their minds. Then Quatre took off after the other two and Trowa waited a few moments before doing the same.

"Ready, Moira?" came Duo's transmitted voice.

"About as I much as I can be, I suppose, for my first real fight."

Duo heard Wufei snort over the transmission frequency and made a mental note to smack him around sometime later.

"After you, Dark Mother," said Duo and Deathscythe lifted his arm skyward.

Moira smiled and Kali-Ma shot up into the air like a dark streak, graceful but terrifyingly swift.

"In love yet, Deathscythe?" Duo chuckled and finally left the hangar after the rest of them.

~~~

There were hundreds of them up here in the dark of space outside the atmosphere. The Mobile Dolls faced the Gundams in a wide semicircle, all guns targeted. The moment of attack from the Gundams was agreed on at the same moment, without any words. Moira sat in Kali with gigantic saber-toothed butterflies in her stomach.

The Gundams moved positions, getting ready for their offensive attack. One moment, Moira could see all the Mobile Suits like a swarm of ugly bees, and the next moment, Deathscythe blocked her vision.

"Don't worry about fighting, the rest of us have done it before. You can just watch."

Duo was sincere and it was incredibly sweet to Moira that he didn't want her uncomfortable. She nodded and kept quiet as all five of the male Gundams struck out at the Mobile Suits.

Kali-Ma lifted up higher and backed away some, to give the battle a wide berth. But as the moments passed Moira found herself snapping her nails off at the quick every time a Mobile Doll went at one of her friends. She was frightened for Quatre, worried about Trowa, feared that Duo would miss one and shed have to watch them die, she was even nervous about the possibility that Wufei would get hurt.

But they had destroyed at least half the Mobile Suits by now and were thinning out the rest. Moira had relaxed a little, confident that her companions would overcome this enemy easily. And that was when she spotted the over-sized, over-equipped, twice-the-size-of-any-of-the-others Mobile Doll. The butterflies in her stomach ran in fear and left her stomach muscles tightened into a hard, marble ball in their wake. It was the ugliest mechanical thing she had ever seen and the boys didn't see it coming.

"No!" she screamed and everyone froze as they watched a dark streak fly across the battlefield and spread itself between the giant Mobile Doll and the rest of the Gundams.

"What in Hell is that?!" screeched Wufei as he saw the Mobile Suit that could be described in no other way than looking like a normal Mobile Doll on steroids.

"That," began Duo, a smile in his voice. "Is the Goddess of Death and Destruction about to kick that ugly-ass thing back into the Hell it came from."

Duo could hear Wufei's faint "oh", but he was paying more attention to Kali-Ma and the red-haired girl who wielded her.

The Mobile Giant sent large rocket flares at Moira and she dodged them easily enough, so that a few of the little Mobile Dolls were caught by them instead.

"That," she laughed, "was pathetic."

The Mobile Giant was fast, though. She hadn't expected it to be that fast, but then, so was Kali-Ma. The Giant collided with Kali's shoulder and wrapped it's mechanical arms around her, intending to break her apart. Kali was slender, much more slender than the other Gundams, and slid through the crushing grip just enough to slam one of her fists into it to dislodge it from her while the other one launched a fireball into a small collection of mechanical joints.

The Giant was deflected from her, but to Moira's horror, the explosion in the concentration of circuits didn't slow it by much and it was coming at her again. She deflected it again, without much damage to it. Moira was starting to freak, because she was taking on this thing all by herself and she wasn't doing much to it at all. She was at the point of snapping, but which way she was going to go she wasn't sure.

The Giant decided that for her, though, when he suddenly went after the other Gundams. Hiro was the one who got suicidal and decided that sacrificing his life in a collision to destroy the thing was the only thing he could do. Luckily, or unluckily depending on your disposition toward the pilot, the Giant swatted him out of the way like a fly. And right before Moira's eyes she watched the Giant damage Wufei's Nataku so that it couldn't fire weaponry anymore, kicked Quatre's Sandrock away with a nice little dent, and pulled some circuitry out of Trowa's Heavy Arms. It was when the Giant was against Duo that Moira's head finally cleared.

Duo was doing well, compared to the other four who'd just been downed. He had enough warning to get some defensive moves against it, but now the metal hand was gripped around Deathscythe's head and it was preparing the crunch it down to scrap metal, a bloody, ripped up pilot at it's core.

"For Terror is Thy name," Moira's voice cut through like a sliver of ice and Duo found the Giant removing it's hand at the wiles of a very pissed off Kali-Ma.

"Death is in Thy breath," she continued quoting, Kali-Ma's body twisting the Giant around between her hands, actually distorting the metal of the Mobile Suit.

"And every shaking step." She slammed the Giant against a large ship that had shown up during the battle with the littler Mobile Dolls, she could only guess it was where the Giant had come from, and planted her feet on the warped body of the Giant.

"Destroys a world forever." Kali's feet retracted and sprung, caving in the head like a bowl and crushing the central power system.

Kali-Ma pulled away from the over-sized Mobile Suit she'd completely put out of commission and drifted backward away from it. Moira was shaking inside her. She had never fought like that before and the anger that had risen up had given her the ability to destroy something that threatened the people she cared about.

When she looked up, Deathscythe was facing her, and also shielding her from inquiring Gundam pilot eyes and shocked enemy ones. They all heard her whisper, though, the whisper that held a strange truth in them and calmed the girl who spoke them.

" Who dares Misery love/And hug the form of Death/Dance in Destruction's dance/To him the Mother comes.' "

~~~

Later, when the Mobile Suits had retreated from the battle field and the Gundams returned to their hangar unmolested, Moira stood alone in the kitchen. She had set things out to thaw for dinner, but was just staring at them as they thawed. She didn't know what else to do, where else to go. The battle had frazzled her and she figured the other pilots didn't want to see her. So in the kitchen she stayed.

That was why she was surprised when she turned around to see Wufei walk into the kitchen and look at her without any words or explanation.

Moira certainly didn't know what to say, she didn't know why he was there. When she finally did open her mouth, though, to say something, the silence too awkward, he closed the space between them and stood right in front of her.

It was what he did next that she never in a million years would have guessed he was about to do.

His lips were on hers, working as efficiently as they had the first time, but he wasn't quite so fast. He wasn't afraid of this kiss like he's been of the first one and when he finished he smiled, mostly because she was giving him the most bewildered look.

"You're one of us. You may be a girl, but... You're not a normal one. I will always fight by you. For justice or anything else."

Moira's eyebrows lifted in surprised and he laughed a little.

"Don't be too flabbergasted, okay?" Then he suddenly stopped smiling, the subject dramatically changed, and his voice became insistent. "I think you need to go to the hangar... Duo needs you."

"What?" she was automatically worried, she headed to the kitchen door as he followed at her side. "What happened? What's wrong?"

He said a word. "Hiro."

She burst into the rest of the house and ran, growling a promise.

"I'll kill him."

~~~

"But, Hiro--"

"You really are thick-headed, aren't you?"

"I don't understand, though."

"No one can understand me, especially you."

"But I thought I always had."

"Well, you were wrong, then, weren't you, Duo?"

"I--"

"Just get out of my life! God, you're like a hopeless puppy!"

"HIRO!!!"

Duo and Hiro both jumped and spun around to see Moira stalking up to them. Her eyes weren't just green anymore, they looked like emerald daggers ready to plunge relentlessly into Hiro, and her hair was a wild mane of red. She looked like an enraged fire nymph.

Hiro shrugged off his surprised and crossed his arms across his chest, giving her his best apathetic expression.

"What are you doing?!" she screeched at him.

No... not exactly a fire nymph, though she was beautiful angry, more like a wailing banshee letting the household know a death was about to occur.

"What do you mean?" Hiro drawled.

"Do you see this man standing by you?" she asked coldly.

Hiro managed a glance at Duo, then looked at her again.

"Yeah."

"He's the best thing you'll ever be able to get your hands on. You're throwing something away that youll regret. But you know what? Im glad."

Hiro looked surprised. Even Duo looked a little shocked at her words.

"Duo is caring and sweet and protective, but he's also strong--bet you never thought to look at that part, did you? He's got guts, he's got the ability to live without someone like you. He loves you--but you handle it like it's garbage. People like you grow old and completely miserable because they don't have enough luck to die in battle or perform suicide right.

"I'm glad you're getting rid of him, I'm glad you don't want him, because Hiro, you may not see it, but you don't deserve one atom in his body." She glanced up at Duo for the first time since she'd stalked in and found an expression on his face she couldn't read. "Maybe you should ask _him_ if he wants to keep _you_, not the other way around."

And just like that, she turned back around and left the hangar.

Moira visibly wilted as soon as the hangar doors shut. She took a few steps and leaned back against the wall.

"Oh, Lord, Moira, what are you doing? Didn't you tell Duo you'd be nice to Hiro?" she muttered to herself. "But, come on, you had to tell him something, right? You knew you wouldn't stay quiet forever."

She rubbed her face with her hands and straightened back up. That was when she heard the noise.


	5. Part 4

One Girl Is All It Takes: Part 4

One Girl Is All It Takes  
by Neko Nasai

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and all associated with it are copywrighted to the people who created them and all that other stuff. Moira Amoureux is my own creation, as it the story line. Extra notes: The song Trowa and Quatre listened to was "Waking Up Beside You" by Stabbing Westward and the other two songs were: "I Am The One" by Inkubus Sukkubus and "Angel" by Aerosmith. If you like it, please let me know!

~Neko Nasai~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Part 4_

"Oh, this is wonderful, I couldn't have done better if I planned it myself--oh, wait, I did."

Moira's eyebrows drew together, listening to the voice as she quietly slipped onto the balcony and looked down on a familiar form.

It was unmistakably female, but only because of the fact the woman had breasts. Otherwise she was pretty butch, especially with that haircut. But what was Noin doing here, crouched in some bushes, talking about plans? Just then, a godsend came in the form of a very good-looking platinum blond.

"Noin, what in Hell are you doing?" he asked as Noin poked her head over the bush.

"Oh, nothing..." she stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothing. "What about you?"

"I came to check on Moira. It's been a week since we brought her and I thought I'd see if she was doing all right. I mean, for all I know she's miserable with this pack of boys."

Noin grinned and stepped out onto the stone walk with Zechs.

"Want to show her what it's like to have a man instead, huh?"

Noin managed to duck the back of his hand flying at her, she continued to smirk.

"You still didn't answer my question before," he said, aggravation in his voice.

"I told you. Nothing."

"And I'm Lady Une. Cough up the truth, Noin."

Moira smiled down at Zechs. She had to admire him, he didn't take anything from Noin, especially guff.

"You really want to know? I've been wreaking havoc!"

"I figured that, though I dreaded the confirmation. What have you done this time?"

"Well, I wanted to test that Moira girl's Gundam, so I organized an attack that would bring her out--though, of course, the other five came with her. God, it was amazing, Zechs, she destroyed the Zeus!" Then she dropped her voice to a whisper. "The bonus was--the Zeus damaged the other Gundams! But thats not even the major thing Ive done!"

Zechs groaned, but that was enough of an answer for Noin to tell him.

"Well, you know Trowa and Quatre, right?"

"MmHmm, they're rather good for each other, don't you think? Wait... What did you do to them?"

"I broke them up!"

Zechs stared at her. Moira fought back anger quietly above them.

"Guess how I did it?"

"I wouldn't be able to begin trying..."

"Moira."

"_What?_"

But Noin was going on and on, not having noticed the strange change in his voice.

"Oh, yeah, you see, those two just loved her when she got here, they were very close. It wasn't hard to convince them that the other one loved Moira now instead of him. So Quatre thinks Trowa is in love with Moira now and not him, and Trowa thinks Quatre loves Moira and not him. It was a work of Genius, don't you--"

Zechs hit her so hard she staggered and fell on her knees, blood pouring from her nose, and her lip split.

"Damn, Zechs, what was _that_ for! I didn't do anything to the girl!" she managed through her bloody hands.

"Oh, you didn't? Let's think about this. If the three of them were as close as you say they were, then I'd certainly think she'd be upset to find out that she's the reason why her two best friends aren't together anymore. And I'd think she be hurt by the fact you used her like that. And you want to know the main reason why I just hit you for her?"

Noin looked up at him, but didn't dare answer. His fist still look ominous to her.

"Because she's standing up there on that balcony and heard every betraying word you just spoke. I hit you hard enough to make you bleed because I had to see the shock, anger, and pain on her face as you nonchalantly laughed over what you _did_. But you want to know something else? I pulled that punch, because I don't want her to watch me _really_ tear you up," he got really close to her face and growled the last in a whisper. "Because, Noin, I'm going to the moment she's gone."

He pulled away and looked up at Moira on the balcony. She was pale from learning why Trowa and Quatre were apart and her fingers clutched the rail because of the anger she felt about it.

"It's okay now, Moira, I'll take care of her. Why don't you get those two boys back together, hm?" Zechs said, reassuringly.

She nodded quietly, looked at him a moment longer with eyes that told him she was grateful for him, and left. Zechs watched after her a moment longer and touched his lips with his fingers in a little kiss of farewell and turned eyes kindled with wrath on Noin.

~~~

"No, no, not that one!" whispered Moira as loudly as she dared.

"Why not?" asked Wufei in a whisper, as well.

They were rummaging through CD's in the rec room looking for the perfect song to play.

Duo walked in as Moira shook her head at another CD Wufei held up.

"What are you doing?" asked Duo, who was quickly answered with loud "Shh!"s. "Sorry... What are you doing?" he replied, this time whispering.

He walked over to them and settled himself down on the floor with them.

"We're trying to find a good love song that I can play in the background of the Study room. We're going to lock Quatre and Trowa in there until they realize they broke up for the wrong reason," explained Moira, tossing another CD aside.

"What reason is that?" Duo inquired further.

"Me."

"What?!"

"Shh!"

"Sorry... _What_?"

"Noin made them both think that the other was in love with me, so they separated without even talking about it. Neither of them realizes they both still love each other dearly."

"So why don't you just tell them what happened?"

"Because they should talk to each other and find out the truth themselves."

"Okay... So any good songs, yet?"

"Not one," sighed Wufei.

"Wait... Talk about it? There's a Bush song about that... That might be a good one," said Moira. "But I think that first we need to make them realize how much they miss each other and there's a really good one by Stabbing Westward about that sort of thing... Oh! I've got that one!"

"Shh!"

"Sorry... Okay, here's the plan..."

~~~

"Why are we going to the Study again?" Trowa asked.

"There's something in a book I don't quite understand and I figured you could help me out," answered Duo.

"Why didn't you ask anyone else?"

"Wufei's in one of his moods, Moira's cooking dinner, and Quatre... hasn't come out of his room."

Duo congratulated himself on that last one, it hinted that Quatre was unhappy about not being with Trowa.

"What about Hiro?"

Duo slowed and frowned.

"He and I are no longer on good terms..."

"Oh? Sounds familiar..."

They had reached the Study and Duo opened the door so that Trowa could go in ahead of him. When Trowa saw Quatre in one of the chairs he suddenly realized he was walking into a trap. The sound of the door shutting and being locked behind him confirmed it.

"A conspiracy," he sighed.

Quatre looked up and his big, blue eyes didn't bother to hide the fact he was surprised to see Trowa.

The CD player started up and a song started to play. _I knew I shouldn't have gotten Duo a stereo with a remote..._

Quatre and Trowa couldn't say anything to each other, though, so the song became their attention. The words the things being listen to, not the soft movements of clothing on furniture, or shoes on carpet. It was their only way to get away from the other one. But the words were telling them something they couldn't say to each other, no matter how much they wanted to.

_I've been so alone for so long  
Forgotten by the world, Forgotten to myself  
Your effervescent eyes have awakened me  
And brushed the dust away...  
But I knew you'd never stay.  
  
So I memorized the color of your eyes  
As I lost myself inside you.  
I memorized the way our legs entwined  
As I drifted off beside you.  
I miss...  
God, I miss waking up beside you.  
_  
_At night I cling to you, I'm so afraid  
Afraid the day will come  
When I wake and find you gone.  
But you promised that you'd not abandon me  
And I kissed my fears away...  
But I woke up to that day.  
  
But I memorized the way our eyes would meet  
Reflected in the bathroom mirror.  
And I memorized your naked silhouette  
As you slowly brushed your hair  
I miss...  
God I miss waking up beside you.  
  
I've been so alone for so long  
I forgot how much it hurt  
To wake up so alone..._  
  
_But I'd memorized how warm your body felt  
As you lay half asleep beside me.  
And I memorized the way the sunlight filled the room  
And played upon your body.  
I miss...  
God I miss... Waking up beside you..._  
  
The silence after the song ended was the hardest the two had ever imagined. They had found each others eyes during the song and they couldn't pull them away. Quatre looked like he was going to cry and Trowa felt like he wasn't far behind.

"I'm sorry..." said Quatre softly.

"Why?" Trowa asked softly, his body irresistibly being pulled to the blond boy who's eyes were already watering.

"I haven't tried to talk to you... I just thought you didn't want to even want to see me..."

"Why would I not want to see you? I thought you didn't want to see me."

Quatre's watery blue eyes looked up at him quickly and he shook his head.

"Oh, no, I wanted to see you so much."

"But what about Moira?"

"What about her? I thought you were with her."

"Me? No, I thought you were with her."

Quatre actually laughed a little.

"But Noin said you..."

"Noin told me you did."

"I'm getting the feeling Noin lied to us," Quatre said softly.

"I could never stop loving you, you know..." Trowa said suddenly, stroking Quatre's cheek.

"Neither could I... Oh, Trowa, I missed you!"

Quatre's arms were locked tightly around Trowa and Trowa felt a rush of relief as he put his arms gently around Quatre in return.

"I love you, Quatre..."

"I love you, too, Trowa... And we will never doubt that again."

"I wish," said Duo from the doorway. "I had a camera. This is the cutest thing I've ever seen."

Trowa and Quatre looked up at Duo, Wufei, and Moira in the doorway. Moira was hiding behind the other two, probably because she didnt know if the two reconciled lovebirds would want to see her.

"A loss, I'm sure," said Trowa, letting go of Quatre.

Quatre ducked down a little and looked at a Moira peering out between the arms of Wufei and Duo. He motioned with a finger for her to come out. Tentatively, she obeyed.

"I... I wish I had known what she was doing. I didn't find out about it until a couple of hours ago. But you won't have to worry about her, I believe there's a bloody corpse out back that used to be named Noin."

"Really?!" said Duo, running to the window with Wufei at his heels. They stretched a strained trying to find any sign that what she said might be true.

Moira actually laughed, despite the quivering in her stomach from the fear that Trowa and Quatre might never be her best friends again.

"Or maybe Zechs took his victim back home with him," she continued.

"Zechs?" asked Wufei, looking away from the window.

"Yeah... He was, uh, upset, when he found out what Noin had done. She didn't just break Trowa and Quatre up, she pulled that number with all the Mobile Suits attacking us--including the--"

"The one on steroids," Wufei supplied.

"Uh, yeah. Anyway, so he said his goodbye to me by saying hed take care of Noin and that I should go get Trowa and Quatre back together. So, thats what I did. You and Duo helped me look for CDs with good songs and then you locked both of them in here so they could find out the truth."

"We're sorry," said Quatre then.

Moira looked at him with a slightly surprised look.

"We never should have started jumping to conclusions just because Noin started saying it looks like he' stuff. Not to mention we already knew you would be good with someone else," explained Trowa and looked over at Duo and Wufei still standing at the window while Moira was being tackled in Quatre's hug.

Moira was laughing on the floor by the time Quatre was done. She felt so much better now that she knew nothing had changed. Trowa held his hand out to her to help her up and pulled her into a hug when he did.

"We'll always talk to each other before assuming next time, okay?"

"Okay," Moira conceded softly as she closed her eyes and enjoyed his hug.

"I like this CD, Moira, where'd you get it?" asked Quatre.

"I made it myself. A compilation CD of meaningful songs and sappy ones," she said with a smile as Trowa let her go. "See the next five or six song all have angels in them."

"Like angels, do you?" asked Duo, coming away from the window to stand behind the chair she was settling down into.

"Love them," she replied, looking up at him.

"And what are these songs you speak of?"

"Hmm, Send Me An Angel," she started ticking off fingers, "My Lover's Box--which also says send me an angel' in it--Engel--which is a German song, engel' means angel'--Even Angels Fall, and--Even Angels Fall. I never realized there were two songs of the same name. Both are quite different, but I love them both. Then there's the song I Am The One which says I'm the angel of your desire'. And... I think that's it on that CD that has angels in it."

"That's a lot," commented Quatre as he slipped into Trowa's arms again.

One of the afore-mentioned songs started playing and Moira grinned, singing along.

"I am the one from the dark side of your dreams... I am the one, the one who heals your screams. I am the one, I am the one. I am a vampire, a-callin' for your love... I am the fire, that burns within your blood..."

"Hey, I actually like this song... That's frightening," said Wufei.

Moira smiled and they exchanges looks before Moira started swaying a little to the song.

"I'm the angel of your desire, burning in the night. I'm the pyre, I'm the fire, come to set you alight," she looked up at Duo with a happy grin. "Listen now my love, let trouble slip away... I shall return, on the darkening of the day... I am the one..."

"So, angel of desire, you say you love angels... Does this include angels of death?"

She grinned at him again.

"My favorite."

Just then, Trowa and Quatre looked at each other knowingly and smiled.

There was a loud grumbling noise and everyone looked at Wufei. He smiled sheepishly and gave his excuse.

"What can I say, I'm hungry."

"Dinner! I forgot!" Moira yelped and she was out the Study door in the blink of an eye.

~~~

"That was the best steak I have ever eaten..." sighed Duo happily, leaning back in his chair.

"I completely agree, how did you do it, Moira?" asked Quatre, looking up at Moira, who was taking her plate to the sink.

"To be honest, I think it was because it marinated so long. I was planning on cooking it earlier, so it was in for another hour or two longer than I'd planned."

"Well, forget to cook it for a couple hours more often, okay?" said Trowa with a smile.

Wufei was sucking his fingers and licking every drop he could off of his plate. That was enough of a compliment, she thought with a smile.

"Where did you two go before dinner, by the way?" she asked, managing to pry Wufei's plate from him.

"Well, we decided it'd be good to spend some time together, since we haven't for a couple of days. And we got something we thought everyone would like," said Quatre, handing her his plate.

"What's that?"

Trowa handed her his plate and opened his mouth to explain when a series of yips drifted through the kitchen door.

"I believe he announced himself," Trowa finally said.

He got up from the table, opened the kitchen door, and a big-pawed German Shepherd puppy came bounding in with yips of joy. He jumped up and licked Trowa's fingers first, then visited Quatre, similarly. He sniffed at Wufei, happily removing the last of the steak juice off his fingers, and sniffed at Duo with his paws on his lap.

"Oh, he's lovely!" laughed Moira, who was getting her face covered with puppy kisses as she kneeled on the floor. "What's his name?"

"Uh... we hadn't thought about that yet. What do you think?"

She looked at the puppy.

"Hm... I'll start saying names and you tell me what you, yes? All right... Poseidon, Odin, Hermes, Hephaestus, Apollo," the puppy started licking her, "Apollo? I'll try and remember that as I keep going... Um, Hades? No, I suppose you're not the Greek god of death, hmm, Anubis? Okay, you're not the Egyptian god of death, either... Osirus, Seht, Loki... Thor? No, I've known too many dogs named Thor. No, you look pretty much like a sun god. What do you guys think?"

Everyone seemed to agree on the name.

"Then Apollo you are. Here, you can have the meat scraps from the steak..."

Apollo set to ravenously eating the raw steak and Moira washed her face and hands of puppy spit.

"Um, I really don't want to ask, but... Where's Hiro?" she asked, clearing away some of the other stuff on the table.

"I don't care."

Everyone stared at Duo.

"What?"

"I don't care. He's probably off with Relena trying to prove his manliness and I don't care."

"Wow... The God of Death has spoken," said Wufei.

The others couldn't help by smile at the comment. Wufei wasn't normally prone to such statements.

Moira was quiet, though, as Quatre asked him why. But as she reached to take Duo's plate he grabbed her wrist. She looked at him, completely confused. He glanced at Quatre.

"You want to know why? I'll tell you. Moira came into the hangar about four hours ago, when I did care. When she left, I didn't. She said things to Hiro that made me realize things."

"Like what?" inquired Trowa, sitting in his chair again.

"Like Shiva needs Kali-Ma in order to exist."

"What?" Wufei asked, completely lost.

The other two pilots weren't far behind.

"Duo..." began Moira.

His purple eyes looked up at her again and he smiled.

"I want to be Shiva, Moira... Your Shiva. I need you..."

"I explained to Hiro that you can live without him, Duo, you can live without anyone. You don't need anyone."

"No, Moira, you told him that I could live without people like him. But I don't want to live without you. Besides," he flashed a grin, "Deathscythe'll be crushed if he can't keep Kali."

Duo's grin was contagious and Moira found herself smiling back at him. But his grin faded and seriousness seeped into his gaze.

"Please, Moira... Let me be your Angel of Death?"

Moira tightened her mouth and glanced away. Why was she hesitating? He was gorgeous and wonderful--

She felt his fingers stroke her cheek and when she looked at him again, he kissed her just like he had the first time, except it told her something it hadn't before. His lips told her that he loved her.

When the kiss broke, her mind struggled to remember the train of thought she'd had before. Amazingly, she managed to grab onto it's tail end. He was gorgeous and wonderful--and a great kisser. There was something else, though, that was really important for her to make this decision. Did she--

"Yes..." She found herself saying.

Yes to what, might I ask? her mind screeched. But she couldn't answer her mind just then, he'd started kissing her again. Her mind didn't bother asking again until later that night, while Moira and Duo were walking in a nearby park.

"You're my angel," she sang softly, "Come and save me tonight... You're my angel... Come and make it all right... You're the reason I live, you're the reason I die, you're the reason I give when I break down and cry... Don't need no reason why..."

What were you saying yes' to again? Letting him be your angel? That's not a good enough excuse to lead the boy on, you know. So, tell me, what were you saying yes to? Give me your good reason for it?

"I love you, Duo..."

Oh. Her mind shut up.

Duo stopped walking and turned to her, his eyes wide.

"You...?"

She smiled suddenly, making Duo smile back.

"Aye, Duo, I do... I didn't realize it until now, but I think I've loved you for a little while now."

Duo's smile broadened and he pulled Moira close, snaking his arms around her.

"You know what?" he began, whispering inches from her face. "I've loved you longer..."

"But what about Hiro?"

"What about him? I think I was still in love with idea that we loved each other, but I don't think we've loved each other for a good long while. We were bound to love other people, Moira. And I have mine right here." He leaned in close. "My angel of desire... My goddess of death--and rebirth."

Then his lips caught hers in another kiss, always sensual, always deep, always gentle, always passionate--and most importantly--always loving.


	6. Epilogue

One Girl Is All It Takes: Epilogue

One Girl Is All It Takes  
by Neko Nasai

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and all associated with it are copywrighted to the people who created them and all that other stuff. Moira Amoureux is my own creation, as it the story line. If you like it, please let me know!

~Neko Nasai~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Epilogue_

"I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever--trust a Gundam pilot ever again."

Noin groaned as she tried to move again and ended up whimpering.

"It's not like I trusted those Gundam boys in the first place, but the girl turned Zechs against me..."

She managed to stick her tongue out far enough to get a few drops of water without too much pain.

"Zechs... That's right, he's a Gundam pilot too, technically."

A spasm started in her leg and she cursed a stream of obscenities at the pain it sent through her.

"God, if I didn't know better, I'd think Zechs actually fell in love with the girl on first sight. But he was supposed to love me... He would never have done this to me before she came."

"Still whining, Noin?"

She moaned and curled up into a ball, despite the pain it caused her. The last person she wanted to see right now was Zechs, for fear he'd kick her ass again.

"Oh, come on, Noin, I had warned you about doing anything to her long before I enforced it."

"She's a witch... She bewitched you into to hurting me..."

"I like being bewitched, then, Noin. Because it made me realize just how much of a bitch you are. You're the green stuff on the edges of ponds, you know, that stuff called scum."

Noin made a noise that Zechs could only guess was an expression of hurt.

"And about me being in love with her? I don't know... I love her, I think, but maybe not in love with her. She's a good girl, Noin, something you can't understand. I'll give her your condolences, since I'm just about to go see her. Though, I don't think she'll care."

She could hear him moving toward the door.

"Oh, and Noin? How could I love something as rotten as you are? Even you can't tell me that you'd eat a once-sweet fruit gone bad... Can you?"

Then he left.

~~~

Wufei opened the door when Zechs rang the bell.

"Oh... Here to see Moira?" he asked.

"How'd you guess?" Zechs replied as he entered.

Wufei started toward the rec room and answered him.

"We've all gotten attached to her, too..."

When they entered the rec room, Trowa and Quatre were on the same couch he'd seen them on before, but there was no Hiro, and Duo had his arms around Moira on the other couch. All of them were watching the comedy The Matchmaker.

Zechs lifted his eyebrows at Duo and Moira.

"I know... Kind of makes you wish you weren't the odd one out," commented Wufei before he settled down onto the floor with an incredibly large bowl of popcorn.

Zechs cleared his throat and Moira looked up. He couldn't help but feel good when Moira's face broke into a smile at the sight of him.

"Zechs!" she said happily and got off the couch.

Duo paused the movie and watched his angel talk to the platinum blond.

"Thanks for what you did about Noin yesterday... I don't know how to repay you."

"Well, from the look of things, concerning those two," he gestured to Trowa and Quatre, "with the fact that they're holding hands and pretty much cuddling up, I'd have to guess that you got them back together?"

Moira laughed softly and nodded.

"It was a bit of an ordeal, though."

"Speaking of people getting together and cuddling up..." he looked over at Duo. "Is this your new flavor?"

She laughed and walked back over to Duo.

"Aye, his intentions seem all well and good enough," she said with a smile, while he reached up and linked his hand into hers.

Zechs leaned down and whispered into Duo's ear.

"You hurt her--I'll kill you."

He pulled back and smiled genially at the surprised face of Duo, and then meant the smile more when Duo nodded.

"Do you want to stay for awhile?" Moira asked.

Apollo ripped through the rec room at the speed of light and ended up pouncing on Wufei.

"Ack! Ugh! Iie! No! Don't--oh..."

Wufei finally gave up and went limp, letting the puppy lick his ears and chin.

"No, that's all right, maybe I'll come to dinner another night."

"Oh, Moira is the best chef," said Quatre, "Once you taste it you'll never eat anywhere else."

"I'm not that good!" Moira said.

"She hasn't made us any dessert yet, though," said Trowa. "I think she knows we'll become permanently dependant on her if she does that."

"Then I will definitely come to dinner this week--only if you'll make us dessert, though," Zechs offered.

Moira smiled and finally nodded.

"You've got it."

"Come see me sometime?" asked Zechs as Moira walked him to the door.

"Only if I won't see Noin," she said seriously.

"Don't worry, she's permanently locked away."

"Then sure. Send me a ride and I'll come see you whenever you want."

Zechs smiled. What he had said to Noin was wrong. Maybe he was in love with her. And maybe one day he'd have her. Until then, he was glad she was happy.

"Until then," he said, bowed, and left.

~~~

"Has he stolen you from me, yet?" asked Duo as she came back into the rec room.

She grinned and tackled him on the couch.

"No one's that clever a thief, Shiva..."

He held her close, unpaused the movie, kissed her forehead and said one thing.

"I love you."

~FINIT~


End file.
